The second edition of Smart Industry Solutions Shanghai (SISS) successfully concluded on 29 June. The event brought together some of the world’s foremost experts in the smart industrial automation industry, to share and acquire information on the future of the China market. Jointly organised by Shanghai Pudong International Exhibition Corp, Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd and Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the event was held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center from 27 – 29 June together with PCIM Asia, an international exhibition and conference for power electronics, intelligent motion, renewable energy and energy management.

During its three-day run, a total of 391 delegates from six countries attended the conference, which included strategic managers, decision-makers and engineers representing all fields in general automation. Over 50 different topics were discussed and were led by the world’s leading experts in industrial automation technology. Speakers representing renowned companies, institutes and associations included ADLINK, B&R Automation, Beckhoff, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Bosch Software Innovations, Comau, OPC UA, Phoenix Contact, Rockwell Automation, SAP, Schneider Electric, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, SIPAI, Tongji University and Universal Robotics. In addition to the conference, SISS also featured a dedicated display area. Prominent brands including B&R Automation, Beckhoff and Phoenix Contact took the chance to showcase their intelligent industrial automation systems, technologies and solutions.

The significance of Smart Industry Solutions Shanghai is demonstrated in a number of ways. The event is able to highlight emerging technologies in smart industrial automation development, address policy initiatives from government bodies and present case studies from leading commercial firms. For the 2017 edition, both speakers and delegates were unanimous in their praise for the show in achieving all of the aforementioned goals.

First-time speaker, Prof Feng Xiao, Director, Sino-German College of Applied Sciences from the Institute of Vocational Education, commented: “SISS is a desirable platform for idea exchange among smart industry solutions experts in China and throughout Asia. It is an interactive platform where solution suppliers can meet directly with manufactures to trouble shoot issues they are currently facing and more importantly voice their needs for future smart industrial automated solutions. Educational institutes also benefit from this event as it opens the doors for communication with the business world, making it a triple win for everyone in the industry.”

Another first-time speaker was Mr Dave Dai, Sales Manager from Bosch (China) Investment Ltd. He praised the level of professionalism and the knowledge of fairgoers that the show gathered. “The conference was well-received, based on the number of attendees present in the hall. High-level questions were asked after every presentation, which indicated the attendance of informed professionals and the importance of the event. As sister events of SPS IPC Drives in Nuremburg and the SPS – Industrial Automation Fair in Guangzhou, SISS will continue to see exponential growth and development. What’s more, the fact that it is moderated by seasoned professors from reputable overseas institutes sets the conference apart from similar conferences in China.”

A new segment for smart factories, “Dialogue with hidden champions’ series – Talk about education for Industry 4.0”, was one of the event’s highlights. Led by experts representing leading industry brands, the talk focused on the connection between ‘Industry 4.0’ and education and research institutes in discovering new industry trends, market opportunities and challenges.

Dr Du Pinsheng, China Vice General Manager, Phoenix Contact China GmbH & Co was a speaker in the new segment. He shared his positive experience of the event: “The ‘Dialogue with hidden champions’ series’ was first introduced at SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou (SIAF) held earlier this year in March. Industrial automation and IoT technologies are prerequisites for developing smart industrial automation solutions, which makes both SIAF and SISS platforms important for this topic. SISS itself is a very comprehensive and interactive platform and continues to add value to the current industrial automation sector. I believe conferences like this can help drive the industry forward.”

Fellow speaker, Dr Xiao Weirong, Managing Director Greater China, Bernecker + Rainer Industrial Automation (China) Co Ltd, shared the same sentiments. He exclaimed: “SISS is a high calibre conference which gathers experts from various smart industry solution sectors under one roof to network, exchange ideas and share product knowledge. The organisation of the event was top-notch and the participants were also very professional and showed genuine interest for the content.”

Besides the speakers, conference attendees found the conference topics rewarding and they appreciated the opportunity to network with industry players. Attending the conference was Mr Cai Youcheng, Hangzhou OZMA CNC Equipment Co Ltd, a leading Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment manufacturer in China. Impressed with SIAF held earlier this year, he came to SISS to gain additional market insights. “I am very impressed with the line-up of speakers and the event is just as professional as the conferences at SIAF in Guangzhou. The topics presented by the automation industry giants really pinpoint practical applications for the latest smart industrial automation products in the market. I am really pleased with the outcome of the conference and the information I obtained will without a doubt be of benefit to my business.”

Another attendee, Ms Sandra Xu, Account Manager from Panduit China, stated: “I attended this conference to gain insight and knowledge on the development trends of the current smart industrial automation sector. In my opinion, hosting SISS with PCIM Asia facilitates communication between both industry sectors and is a worthwhile attempt to satisfy fairgoers who specialise in both markets such as myself. I will definitely be back again next year to visit both events.”

Smart Industry Solutions Shanghai and its sister event, SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou (SIAF), will continue to present the latest updates on industrial automation as well as intelligent automation solutions in their respective regional markets. For more information, please visit www.sissexpo.com, or email sps@china.messefrankfurt.com.

Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With more than 2,300 employees at some 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €647 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).